For those that have been riding a while...

[Dombo]

Cheers Marco, that brings back memories ! As a 14 yr old I used to ride down there on a Sunday after church and drool at the bikes and bits in the window before nipping up to the Holdsworth place then back via a place in Sutton (Emperor Cycles?) down the bottom just off Throwley Way I think. That must be why the only bike I noticed the other day at Dauphins was a classic looking steel Ciocc in the window (although I thought it a bit toppy at £2700 with Centaur/Veloce mix).

Another framebuilder that you don't hear much about these days is Ken Bird - a kid in my class at school who was a keen racer had one back in the mid-70s

[Amy]

Anyone heard of Cyril Wren?

He built a bike for mother in 1960 which later went through both my older brothers before becoming my first solo. Needs a respray but can't do that as we don't have the transfers and they're not available anymore.

I did bump into a couple via Cliff Shrubb who's son or daughter is married to one of Wren's offspring a few years' back.

[John M]

Allins was a great shop, I must have spent a fortune in there in my youth!

I still have my Allin frame that I used for racing in the 1980's. I really must get round to putting that bike back together.

It's amazing to think back at how many bike shops / frame builders we had in this area a few years back. Dombo has already mentioned Ken Bird and Holdsworths. I remember Ron Cooper and TJ Quick just a stones throw away from each other towards Forest Hill. Roberts seem to be the only ones still making made to measure steel frames round here.

I don't know much about Cyrill Wren though Amy, I believe he based in Kingston.........

[Andrew G]

Bob still does some testing and Lesley is a regular timekeeper.

[Jon H]

[quote="marco"]It's changed hands now but if you go there you soon realise the current owner is a big chopper fan and if you go round the back with him he will show you whatever chopper he is currently spending his time on.

[Roy Green]

Re Youngs at Coney Hall: owner is Martyn Green (no relation). Besides choppers, he fixes 'serious' bikes too. Did up a Green fixie, and I,ve bought a variety of road bike stuff there.

[Dombo]

[quote="marco"]
Remember that immediate smell of rubber when you walked in a shop like that when you were a kid?

[quote="Dombo"][quote="marco"]
Remember that immediate smell of rubber when you walked in a shop like that when you were a kid?

[Phil H]

Ah yes - the smell of rubber, the young men in uniforms, the oil ...

Must be Kwik Fit.

[Dombo]

Nice looking retro Holdsworth in this week's CW. Steel 753 with Athena kit in 1978 livery. Looks like somebody is making them again.